Building STEPS is pleased to announce that Kieara Thomas has been elected to the Building STEPS Board of Directors. Thomas is a 2005 graduate of Building STEPS and currently works as an Operations Support Specialist at Paypal. Thomas graduated from Towson University in 2015 with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and Project Management.

“Kieara will be a valuable addition to the Building STEPS Board,” said Debra Hettleman, Building STEPS CEO. “Being a graduate of our program gives her a unique perspective that she brings to the board. Her first-hand experience as a graduate of the program will be invaluable to all of us.”  

Thomas is an active participant in the community, volunteering in several capacities with Building STEPS (chaperone and scholarship committee) as well as various other organizations. She is engaged with the Maryland Food Bank and KOMEN Maryland. “Giving back is part of my DNA. I feel it is part of my responsibility to give back to Building STEPS as they helped me to become successful,” said Thomas.

Building STEPS is a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit built on one simple principle; a college education changes a person’s life. Focused on science and technology, the multi-year program, beginning in a students’ junior year of high school, propels Baltimore City’s bright public school students to college and career success. The program clears a path for high-achieving, underrepresented high school students to reach their academic and professional potential. More than 80 percent of Building STEPS graduates earn a college degree and almost all are the first to do so in their family.